In a way they were blindsided. Europe had the armies and weapons. Before (and even during) colonization there were trading relationships throughout the continent. Colonists took advantage of that.
There's a big misconception that Africans willing sold their own people but that's not true. Slavery was an institution around the world. Europeans were enslaved too but they never talk about that lol.
Btw, I don't if it was in this thread or another but someone mentioned how the NA just perched or something but the thing is the Natives lacked the immune systems Africans had. They died rapidly when they were exposed to different diseases and people. They were going to be enslaved like the Africans.
